Hepatitis B core antigen modulates exosomal miR-135a to target vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 promoting chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

Figure 5 Hepatitis B core antigen induced anti-apoptosis and proliferation via miR-135a-5p and its target gene vesicle-associated membrane protein 2. A and B: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the level of vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 in HepG2 cells after transfection with the specific plasmid combinations; C and D: Annexin V-FITC/PI assay was performed to assess cell apoptosis in HepG2 cells after transfected with the indicated plasmids; E and F: Western blot was performed to analyze the level of B-cell lymphoma-2 in HepG2 cells after transfection with the plasmid combination shown above; G and H: Cell counting kit 8 assay was performed to assess cell proliferation in HepG2 cells transfected with the specific plasmid combinations; I and J: Western blot analyses of mini-chromosome maintenance protein-2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in HepG2 cells transfected with the plasmid group shown in the figure above. ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01. Bcl-2: B-cell lymphoma-2; MCM2: Mini-chromosome maintenance protein-2; PCNA: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; VAMP2: Vesicle-associated membrane protein 2.